Adjustable back rest



1952 H. H. EICHORST 2,585,447

I ADJUSTABLE BACK REST Filed March 50, 1951 2 Sl-iEETSSHEET 1 Fig.

Herman l-l Eichors/ JNVENTOR.

' a wwm Feb. 12, 1952 H. H. EICHORST 2,585,447

ADJUSTABLE BACK REST Filed March 30, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Fig.3

y 24 40 34 v K Herman H. E l'charsf INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT' OFFICE ADJUSTABLE BACK RESTHerman H; Eichorst, Hollydale, Calif.

Application March 30, 1951; Serial No. 218,401

9 Claims. 1 This invention relates to improvements-in an automotivevehicle seat. I

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanicalassembly which is operatively connected with the seat frame and backrestframe of a seat in order to hold the backrest frame in selected pivotedposition with respect to the seat frame, said assembly including alocking rod provided with spaced locking members, one locking memberbeing in firm contact" or engagement with the cam at the lower end ofone arm and the other locking member being in firm contact or engagementwith the cam'at the lower end of a second locking arm, both of saidlocking arms being pivoted to the seat frame-and slidably connected tothe back-rest frame, whereby when said locking members are pressedtightly against the earns, the arms will be held releasably fastened ina definite position, which position is reflected directly in anadjustment of the back-rest frame.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved andsimplified means for holding the back-rest frame in a great varietyofpositions depending upon the perogative of the user Figure 1 is avertical sectional view ofjthe combination seat and back-rest framesshowing the frames in one position;

Figure 2 is a side view of the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the structure of Figuse 1, two positions ofadjustment of the backrest frame with respect to the seat frame beingillustrated Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken.

substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2';

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view take substantially on the line5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of oneof the locking members;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the same looking member showing theopposite side thereof;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another of thelocking' membersshowingin phantom itscon nection with the locking rod; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the armsconstituting a part of the assembly.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a seat frame I!)together with a back-rest frame l2. The seat'frame includes variousangle members, the angle member M constituting the back of the seatframe and the angle member 16 constituting one side of the seat frame.The seatframe includes braces 18, as does the backrest frame l2.

There is an improved assembly for pivotally connecting the back-restframe I 2 to the seat frame It and also for holding the back-rest framein selected pivoted positions with respect to the seat frame; Thisimproved assembly in- -'cludes a pair of identical arms 22 and 24, thearms 24 having an opening 26 near the lower end thereof which receivesalpivot pin 21, this pivot pin being carried by a part of the seat'frame[9. The lower end of the arm 24 has a wedge-shaped cam 28 with anarcuate slot 30 provided in it. The slot is snmciently long to not onlyextend almost entirely throughout the length of the wedge-shaped cam 28but also to extend a considerable distance into the flat material of thelower end of the arm 24.

Thearm 2 rests against the inside surface of one flat side 32 of theback-rest frame 12, said fiat side constituting a part of a guide forthe arm 24, the remainder of the guide being formed by the series ofU-shaped brackets 34, 36 and 38 which are fixed to the back-rest frame[2 side 32. Inasmuch as the arm 24 is adapted to slide in the guidewayformed by the side 32 and the brackets 34, and 38, when the back-restframe [2 is pivotally operated with respect to the seat frame ID, thebrace arm 49 which is pivoted at its lower end to the pivot pin 21 andwhich is riveted or otherwise rigidly fixed to the arm 24, moves withit. 'Thebrace arm is located in the guideway and for facility ofoperation an appropriate lubricant may be used in the guideway. Alocking rod 42 extends transversely across therear end of the seat framel2, passing through suitable aligned openings in the side is of the I"locking'rod 4215 so arranged that it passes through the slots 30 ofeach arm 22 and 24 and the locking member 48 is adapted to engage thecam of the arm 22 in order to hold the arm in a selected positionwhereby the seat back-rest will be held in a corresponding position. Forthis purpose the locking member 48 has a central aperture through whichthe locking rod 42 passes and has a ridge or rib 56 extendingdiametrically thereacross. A tongue 58 rises from the same surface ofthe locking member 48 which has the rib 58, the tongue being located inthe slot of the arm to prevent excessive rotation of the looking member48 with respect to the arm 22. The rib 56 is used to provide a firm,contact element for the surface of the wedge-shaped cam 28.

Although the locking member 48 is held in place directly against theouter surface of the cam 28, the locking member 50 (Figures 6 and 7)which coacts with the cam of the arm 24 is retained in place byadditional means (Figures 4 and 5). The locking member 60 comprises aplate 62 with a central aperture 64 therein through which the lockingrod 42 passes, together with a tongue 66 and a diametric rib 68, thetongue and rib rising from the same surface of the plate 52. The rib 68is adapted to contact the cam 28 of the arm 24, while the tongue 86 islocated in the slot 39 in order to prevent excessive rotation of thelocking member 68 with respect to the arm 24. On the substantiallyplanar outer surface of the locking member 68 there is an anti-frictionbearing I0 having a spring '52 concentrically arranged therewith, thespring seating against the planar surface of the locking member 60 andalso against a washer I4 which is fitted on the locking rod 42. The knob46 bears against the washer 14 so that upon rotation of the knob 46 thespring 12 bears against the locking member 60 yieldingly pressing itagainst the cam 28 and at the same time the rod 42 shifts axiallybecause it is being shortened in effective length, thereby pulling thelocking member 48 against the cam of the arm 22. In operation of thisportion of the device the knob 46 is rotated so as to loosen it wherebythe locking members 48 and 6e are maintained loosely against the cams ofthe arms 22 and 24. At this time the back-rest frame I2 may be rotatedabout the pivot pins 21 as axes inasmuch as these pins connect the arms22 and 24 and their brace arms 40 to the seat frame IS and the bracearms together with arms 22 and 40 are slidably connected with theback-rest frame I2. However, when the knob 46 is tightened on thelocking rod 42 the locking members 60 and 48 are fastened firmly againstthe cams at the lower ends of the arms 24 and 22, thereby holding thearms 22 and 24 against further pivot- -a1-movement and hence, holdingthe back-rest tween the seat frame and the back-rest frame is less thanninety degrees.

In order that there will be sliding movement between the arms 22 and 24and the back-rest frame 12, brackets 80 and 82 are secured to oppositerear corners of the seat frame It) and links 84 and 86 are pivoted tothe upper ends thereof.

These links are connected to the back-rest frame I2 so that upon pivotalmovement of the backrest frame I2, the arms 22 and 24 will slide intheir guides or guideways. As disclosed in Figure 1, the back-rest frameis substantially rectangular in shape including in addition to thebracing I8, a top member 90, sides 9| and 92 and a bottom member 93.This entire unit is adapted to shift with respect to the arms and 22 dueto the presence of the links 84 and 86. Since the links 84 and 86 arepivoted in advance of the pivotal connection for the arms 22 and 24, theunit defined by the sides, top and bottom of the backrest frame I2 willextend and retract, the extended position being when the back-rest frameI2 is substantially vertical and the retracted position with respect tothe arms 22 and 24 being when the back-rest frame is substantiallyhorizontal.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a seat frame and a backrest frame, means pivotallyconnecting confrontingends of said frames and for retaining saidback-rest frame in selected pivoted positions with respect to said seatframe, said retaining means including an arm slidably connected to saidbackrest frame, a link pivoted to said seat frame and connected to saidback-rest frame, said arm having a cam provided with a slot, a lockingrod disposed in saidslot, and a locking member carried by said lockingrod and contacting said cam to hold said arm releasably fastened to saidlocking rod.

2. The combination of claim 1 and said arm being pivoted to said seatframe, said slot being curved and arranged on an arc with the pivotalconnection of said arm and said seat frame being the center of pivotalmovement of said arm with respect to said seat frame.

3. The combination of claim 2 and said slot being sufficiently long toextend into the material of said arm beyond said cam so that said armand said back-rest frame may be pivotally moved to such position thatthe back-rest frame and seat frame have a dihedral angle less thanninety degrees.

4. The combination with a back-rest frame and a seat frame, of anassembly to hold said backrest frame releasably in selected pivotedpositions with respect to said seat frame, said assembly including alink pivoted to said seat frame and connected to said back-rest frame,an arm, means slidably connecting said arm with said back-rest frame,and said arm being pivotally secured to said seat frame, a locking rod,said arm having a cam provided with a slot which accommodates saidlocking rod, and a locking member engaging said cam and carried by saidlocking rod.

5. The combination with a back-rest frame and a seat frame, of anassembly to hold said backrest frame releasably in selected pivotedposition with respect to said rest frame, said assembly including a linkpivoted to said seat frame and connected to said back-rest frame, anarm, means slidably connecting said arm with said back-rest frame, andsaid arm being pivotally secured to said seat frame, a locking rod, saidarm having a cam provided with a slot which accommodates said lockingrod, and a locking member engaging said cam and carried by said lockingrod, adjustable means carried by said locking rod for pressing saidlocking member in engagement with said cam.

6. The combination with a back-rest frame and a seat frame, of anassembly to hold said backrest frame releasably in selected pivotedposition with respect to said rest frame, said assembly including a linkpivoted to said seat frame and connected to said back-rest frame, anarm, means slidably connecting said arm with said back-rest frame, andsaid arm being pivotally secured to said seat frame, a locking rod, saidarm having a cam provided with a slot which accommodates said lockingrod, and a locking member engaging said cam and carried by said lockingrod, adjustable means carried by said locking rod for pressing saidlocking member in engagement with said cam, said locking membercomprising a plate with a rib on one surface thereof frictionallyengaging said cam, and a tongue extending from said plate and disposedin said slot to limit the rotation of said plate on said rod.

7. The combination of claim 4 and a second arm slidably connected tosaid back-rest frame at a location spaced from the first mentioned arm,said second arm having a cam provided with a slot, said locking rodbeing passed through the last mentioned slot, and means carried by saidlocking rod and engaging the last mentioned cam for releasably fasteningsaid arm to said locking rod.

8. The combination of claim 7 and means pivoting said second arm to saidseat frame, and a second link pivoted to said seat frame and connectedto said back-rest frame. 1

9. The combination of claim 1 and the pivotal connection of said linkbeing spaced from the pivotal connection of said arm and said seat frameso that upon pivotal movement of said back-rest frame with respect tosaid seat frame, said backrest frame is extended with respect to saidseat frame.

HERMAN H. EICI-IORST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,147,439 Herold Feb. 14, 19392,290,672 Cantor July 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date848,742 France July 31, 1939 275,737 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1927

